Proper diet largely determines the state of your overall health. True, some illnesses are hereditary, and you just can’t control how you get them. But you can slow down the prognosis by maintaining a healthy diet. The question is, can an unhealthy/healthy diet affect the health of your feet? Of course, it can! Here are a few ways how your diet directly impacts your feet.
Inflammatory and Anti-Inflammatory Food Items
In most cases inflammation is a sign of infection. When our body’s immune system fights against foreign bodies we may experience inflammation. It is also a sign of healing tissues, which occurs as soon as our immune system fights against harmful infections. Our feet for instance are almost always touching the rigid ground and if we wear shoes for the entire day, we expose our feet to sweat. This is one of the few reasons why our feet may swell. However, there are certain food items that cause inflammation too:
- Sugar and fructose – Artificially sweetened products like cereals, jams, sweet juices etc have an ingredient called corn syrup. It has a high concentration of fructose which can cause swellings. Table sugar may also lead to swellings but the effects are lesser when compared to corn syrup.
- Processed Meat – If you consume processed meat like nuggets, salami, sausages on a daily basis, you may experience inflammation and discomfort around your feet.
- Refined carbohydrates – In our article, ‘Popular Indian Staples that are Good for Diabetics in India’, we have mentioned many unrefined carbohydrate varieties that are beneficial for your health. However, if our main source of carbs are highly refined, we may get inflammation as a result of it. White flour, cake flour, self-rising flour are all refined forms of brown flour (atta) and products made from them are inflammatory in nature.
- Too Much Alcohol – Here’s another product that may cause inflammation and infections if taken excessively and on a daily basis.
Always pay close attention to inflammation from food and untreated infections. In order to subdue it and bring the body to its original state, we start to produce different mediators. If these mediators are present in our body for a long time, we may have harmful side effects which may lead to a host of new diseases.
When our feet are swollen for an extended period, it leads to severe illnesses like arthritis, gout, acute foot pain etc. Syounaa socks are known to reduce inflammation around the feet because it increases blood flow in the affected areas of the feet. However, one must have a balanced diet to experience faster healing and improved overall health. Research shows that omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids from fish act as a natural anti-inflammatory. Though both salt water and fresh water fish have omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids, salt water fish is known to have a richer supply of minerals and nutrients. Many edibles have omega 6 fatty acids but not omega 3 and this imbalance is another reason for inflammation. By adding a good helping of fish in your diet you will balance the omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, thereby reducing the inflammation around your feet.
Food The Cause and Reduce Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
Just like how diabetes may cause peripheral neurosis, high blood pressure on your feet and arms may lead to PAD. A test called the ankle brachial index (ABI) determines how well your blood flows around your arms and legs.
Many food products lead to high blood pressure. In fact, our current diet and fast food trend is the main reason for high blood pressure and PAD.
Table salt, processed food (like instant noodles, instant oats etc), pickles, chips, fries etc have a high salt content and can easily lead to high blood pressure. But there are food items that help you keep your blood pressure under control which ultimately controls PAD. A diet that has a rich helping of fruits and vegetables will reduce the pressure on your feet and thereby decreases the risks of peripheral artery disease. Fruits and vegetables are low in sodium which helps regulate blood pressure. Other food products that are low in trans fats and saturated fats also help control blood pressure and keeps your feet strong and healthy.
Food the Cause and Reduce Diabetes
Type two diabetes is usually a consequence of poor dietary and lifestyle decisions and both severe type one and type two diabetes usually adds pressure to your feet. High blood sugar often cuts oxygen supply to your feet and it may obstruct delicate nerve endings on your feet. Your diet plays a crucial role when it comes to diabetic foot health.
As you may already know that excessively sweetened products with high contents of refined carbs and trans fats are the leading cause of type two diabetes. However, there are edibles out there that will keep your diabetes under control. Talk too your dietician to create a diet plan that will best suit your condition and lifestyle. For your diet to effectively combat diabetes, it must have a strong helping of fibrous fruits and vegetables, whole grain carbs, healthy protein sources and lean meat. This will regulate your blood sugar and protect your feet from the adversities of diabetes.
Syounaa socks protect your feet from all the illnesses we mentioned here. They facilitate blood flow around your feet which increases oxygenation. The increased oxygenation decreases foot pressure and the special absorbent nature of the sock keeps infection at bay. This is why they are handy for those with blood pressure, peripheral artery disease, diabetes or those who frequently observe inflamed feet. However, to slow down the progress of any of the above diseases you must make a healthy choice. Your body is a beautiful self-healing machine. But it will only work if you give it rich and effective fuel to work with. If you give your body healthy and nutritious food, your feet will carry you far.
